Author: Ami Vitale

Nikon Ambassador and National Geographic magazine photographer Ami Vitale has traveled to more than 90 countries, bearing witness not only to violence and conflict, but also to surreal beauty and the enduring power of the human spirit. Throughout the years, Ami has lived in mud huts and war zones, contracted malaria, and donned a panda suit— keeping true to her belief in the importance of “living the story.” In 2009, after shooting a powerful story on the transport and release of one the world’s last white rhinos, Ami shifted her focus to today’s most compelling wildlife and environmental stories. Her photographs have been commissioned by nearly every international publication and exhibited around the world in museums and galleries. Recently, she joined Ripple Effect Images, an organization of renowned female scientists, writers, photographers and filmmakers working together to create powerful and persuasive stories that shed light on the hardships women in developing countries face and the programs that can help them. She is also on the Photojournalism Advisory Council for the Alexia Foundation. Currently based in Montana, Ami Vitale is a contract photographer with National Geographic magazine and frequently gives workshops throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. She can be reached at ami@amivitale.com.

AI & Social Good | Dialogues on Technology and Society | Ep 8: | Ami Vitale and Mira Lane

Posted on by Ami Vitale

I had the privilege of speaking with the brilliant Mira Lane, Google’s Sr. Director of Technology and Society recently. Mira is a remarkable mix of artist and tech guru, and she’s all about breaking down barriers between these worlds. We talked about the importance of sharing stories of hope and the powerful impact it can have on others.

Take some time to check out all of Mira’s interviews as she works to bring a diversity of perspectives into conversations around the evolving landscape of technology, its societal impacts, and the inherent ethical considerations.

See more at:

Join me in Antarctica!

Posted on by Ami Vitale

Embark on an unforgettable journey to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia to learn the art of visual storytelling!

Any number of ships can take you to Antarctica. And the incredible landscape, the wildlife, and Antarctica’s ethereal light – it will all be waiting for you regardless.  But how you experience this wonderous place and how deeply it touches you will depend in large part on who you travel with.

I am thrilled to announce that I will be partnering with Polar Latitudes to journey to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia inNovember 2024. This will be much more than just a travel experience, it’s a chance to immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of this icy wilderness while also becoming an ambassador for its preservation. I will be leading an Immersive Photography Program, curated by Polar Latitudes, and meticulously crafted to empower photographers with a profound love for nature to harness the power of visual storytelling. You’ll not only capture the mesmerizing landscapes and wildlife but also convey the urgency of protecting this remarkable ecosystem. 

Adding to the excitement, I’m thrilled to announce that we are giving away one spot to a female-identifying photographer or artist to join me on this unparalleled expedition. Applications are open until March 28! 

About this Antarctic Photography Adventure 

The trip to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia begins November 1st in Ushuaia and returns on November 21st, 2024. I am thrilled to partner with Polar Latitudes, who are renowned for their expertise in small-ship Antarctic expeditions. This is a wildlife lover’s dream journey!  With beaches covered in fur seals, elephant seals, and hundreds of thousands of penguins, it’s one of the most jaw-dropping nature scenes you will ever experience. It’s an experience that promises to be both humbling and exhilarating. 

Over the course of our 22-day expedition, we will have small groups and I’ll be offering on-the-ground photography guidance and conducting personalized photo reviews. Together, we’ll not only capture remarkable images but also cultivate a deeper understanding of how visual storytelling can serve as a tool for conservation and preservation.

This will be an environment where creativity thrives. I’m eagerly looking forward to providing feedback to both aspiring and seasoned visual artists as they expand their skills and utilize photography as a tool for planetary conservation. 

If you book your space now, you can  secure a spot  and enjoy a 10% off Early Bird pricing special, plus an additional 5% if paid in full here.  

Win a trip to Antartica!

This month in honor of international Women’s Day, Vital Impacts, Polar Latitudes and I are teaming up to  launch a contest for one aspiring or experienced female-identifying photographer to accompany me on this trip. To enter, contestants are asked to tag @polarlatitudes, @amivitale and @vital.impacts on social media, share one photo and either post a video or send an essay about how they’ll use the experience to create a positive impact. The deadline to enter is March 28. 

The trip is valued at $28,000 and this package includes one roundtrip economy class airfare ticket to Ushuaia, Argentina (up to $2,500), airport transfer, shipboard food and accommodation (a shared cabin with one female Vital Impacts team member), and more. In addition to training, workshops, and inspiration, this Antarctica trip offers a chance to become immersed in Vital Impacts, my women-led nonprofit that uses art and storytelling to support grassroots conservation. 

To apply and to find the contest rules and conditions, visit the Vital Impacts website. Or skip the contest and reserve your spot today.

Either way, I can’t wait to see you on the other side of the world! 

National Geographic Celebrates International Women’s Day

Posted on by Ami Vitale

National Geographic published “How Women Photographers Access Worlds Hidden from Men” in celebration of their female photographers on International Women’s Day. In the piece, the women reflect on how gender influences their work. In an industry dominated by men, female photographers face additional hurdles to move their careers forward, but they also have an advantage when it comes to accessing personal stories of women around the world.

The story featured Ami Vitale’s photograph of one of the first women keepers at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, Mary Lengees, affectionately stroking the head of a baby elephant, highlighting Mary’s devotion to caring for the animals. Ami reflects on the photograph, writing, “Though she and the women who work for her encounter resistance, the team at Reteti is united in its mission to rescue abandoned elephant calves, nurse them back to health, and reintroduce them to the wild. It requires vigilance and round-the-clock care, but Lowuekuduk’s passion for saving these 200-plus-pound babies knows no bounds. In a world where we focus only on the challenges and things that divide us, it’s important also to talk about the solutions.”

See the other photographs shared by female National Geographic photographers and read about their experiences telling women’s stories here.

B&H Feature: Ami Vitale Advocates for Mother Earth

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B&H published an in-depth feature on Ami Vitale, covering the story of her career trajectory from conflict photographer to documenting the natural world. Thanks to one well-timed assignment focusing on people’s relationship to nature in remote locations worldwide, Ami’s whole photographic career shifted.

“That chance for reflection, to look at the natural world, helped me put all the pieces together,” Vitale says of this project. “I realized that all the conflicts I had been covering were ultimately about our resources. That the biggest story, which I had been missing, was our natural world and what we’re doing to it. It was one of the most transformative moments in my career.”

After receiving a Master’s degree in filmmaking, the scope of Ami’s work expanded further, which the story explores along with sharing her advice for other photographers and information on the gear she prefers. It emphasizes her mission to share stories of hope and to encourage people everywhere to take action to preserve the world for future generations.

Read the full feature here.

@natgeo Celebrates 100 Million Followers

Posted on by Ami Vitale

When the National Geographic Instagram account, @natgeo, recently reached the milestone of 100 million followers, they celebrated by sharing albums of their most popular images from the account. Three of Ami Vitale’s photographs were included in these selections, which show the imagery that resonated most deeply with audiences worldwide.

Out of 20,000 photos that have been posted on their Instagram account, the photo of Sudan being comforted by his long time keeper Joseph elicited more reactions than all but one photo ever posted on their feed. The moment resonated across the globe and served as a powerful wake up call to tens of millions of people.

You can see all the galleries here.

Bust Magazine

Posted on by Ami Vitale

The January/February 2019 print edition of Bust Magazine featured a story on Ami Vitale’s work with pandas, “Getting the Perfect Panda Photo Requires a Pee-Soaked Costume: This Photographer Tells Us How She Does It.” Ami shares behind the scenes information about how she made the photographs for her 2018 book, Panda Love, including the need for her to wear a panda suit that smelled like panda urine, to keep the bears she was photographing from habituating to human presence, as they were being raised for release back into the wild.

Though the number of pandas in the wild has risen in recent years thanks to various conservation efforts, especially in China, pandas remain a threatened species for a couple of reasons: their natural habitat keeps shrinking due to deforestation, and they’re hard to breed in captivity. Vitale believes that the recent incline in the panda population is a sign of hope for all of us, though, even as we’re bombarded daily with alarming headlines about climate change. “The story of the panda is a perfect metaphor for what we can do to turn things around,” she says. “We are at a turning point and the world is fragile and vulnerable. The choice is ours now. I want to tell people not to feel helpless and remind them that the power of individuals to make a difference is real.”

Read the full article here.

Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award

Posted on by Ami Vitale

The nominees for the 2nd Annual Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award were announced today. Ami Vitale is one of the nominators for the prize.

This award is the first environmental award to single out innovators under the age of 40. It is created to serve as an early investment in our future, giving today’s top young minds the community and financial support that will take their ideas to the next level.

Ami nominated Asha de Vos, founder of Oceanswell, Sri Lanka’s first marine conservation research and education organization, and an important advocate for diversity in marine conservation.

Wildscreen Photo Story Panda Award

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Ami was named one of the three finalists for the 2018 Wildscreen Photo Story Panda Award. To win this award is to have your work judged as one of the best examples in the natural world storytelling genre by the industry’s most respected and accomplished leaders.

The finalist gallery was recently featured in The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph.

Creative Review: How I Got Here

Posted on by Ami Vitale

Over the last two decades, Ami Vitale has travelled to over 95 countries, writing, taking photographs and now making films, driven by belief that telling stories helps connect people rather than emphasize differences. Besides working with National Geographic Magazine, she conducts photography workshops all over the world and is publishing a book, Panda Love: the Secret Lives of Pandas.

In this piece, “How I Got Here: Ami Vitale,” she speaks to Creative Review about how she discovered photography, making an impact and more, and tells the stories of some of her images.